The present invention relates to long distance telephone services and more specifically, to flexible, customizable control of long distance telephone usage by customers, as well as methods and apparatus for issuing and/or recharging prepaid long distance telephone accounts from remote locations.
In a telephone network of the type prevalent in the United States, customer telephone lines are connected to a DCO (Digital Central Office) or simply "switch", which is an apparatus that completes the call to the destination number, preferably routing the call over the least-cost available long distance circuit. The DCO switch generates records of long distance usage for billing purposes. Specifically, at a conclusion of each long distance call, the switch generates a CDR, or call detail report, with information such as the calling number, the called number and the date and time and duration of the call. This CDR data is accumulated, for example, on a magnetic tape. The magnetic tapes are periodically removed to a billing office for processing to include the recorded calls on the customer bills. This is the telephone credit card type of system in that the telephone company is providing credit to the user in the sense that the user need not pay for the call until after it receives the bill, which may be several weeks thereafter.
More recently, prepaid or "debit card" systems are becoming increasingly popular. A prepaid long distance telephone service provider purchases long distance capacity from a long distance provider in volume, for example by leasing a number of lines. The prepaid service provider typically receives a cash payment from a customer in exchange for a specified amount of long distance telephone service, specified in dollar amount or minutes of long distance usage. The customer is given a card which indicates an access telephone number and an account number. Upon calling the access number, the customer is prompted to enter the account number and the destination number she wishes to call. The call is completed if a positive balance remains on the identified account. Additionally, that account balance is debited in real-time as the call progresses, and the call is terminated when the account balance is exhausted. This procedure reduces telephone fraud in that the charges cannot accumulate in excess of the amount prepaid by the customer.
The prepaid long distance telephone service is implemented by providing a digital switch at a central location accessible through the access telephone number. Known digital switches are limited in that only a limited set of operating parameters can be implemented and, a given set of operating parameters is applied to an entire trunk group of incoming telephone lines. Another problem with known debit card systems is that prepaid account cards must be distributed through point-of-sale locations such as retail drugstores where cash can be collected in payment for the cards. In general, the prepaid telephone service card is a cash equivalent because anyone having possession of the card can use it to the extent of the account balance. Once that balance is exhausted, the card is useless and may be discarded.
The need remains therefore to provide a way of "recharging" the balance of a prepaid long distance account as may be needed. There is a further need to provide a convenient means for distributing card accounts to new customers or recharging existing accounts at such times and places throughout the country as would maximize customer convenience. The need further remains for providing a long distance system that is extremely flexible in terms of implementing features and controls with respect to individual card accounts as well as group accounts, thereby allowing business users improved control over their long distance telephone costs and accounting. The need further remains to provide such a system at low cost and with very high reliability. U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,891 to Marshall discloses a credit control system for long distance telephone services. The Marshall patent teaches determining the amount of credit available to a telephone travel card holder at the completion of a long distance call and invalidating the card if no credit remains.